Wedge



A. McK. WATERS.

WEDGE,

APPLICATION HLEp 05c. 17, 1914.

1,195,%23,. Patented Aug. 22, 1916.

v WITNESSES.-

ANDREW McK. WATERS, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

WEDGE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. eaioie.

0 Application filed December 17, 1914. Serial No. 877,813:

To all whom it may concern: 7 Be it known that I, ANDREW Mok.

' Burns, a subject of the Kingdom of Great Britain, formerly residing in New Zealand, whose post-oflice address is now Market street in the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in lVedges, of which the following isa specification.

This invention relates more particularly to wedges for splitting wood.

Among the objects of this invention are to produce wedges of such construction; that the driving heads thereof will not bur over and prevent the entrance of the wedge into the wood, beyond the limit of the wedging planes; that combine the maximum wedging capacity with the minimum of weight; that protect the body of the wedge from mutilation in driving; that permit the ready removal and replacement of the driving heads, and the substitution of long heads for short, or vice versa, if occasion demands.

The operation of splitting wood with wedges involves the driving of the wedge into the wood, with the plane of the edge parallel with the fibers of the wood, the graduated taper of the wedge rending the fibers of the wood apart along the grain. Various types of wedges are designed with .respect to the angle of taper; the shape of the entering edge and other peculiar characteristics, to meet the particular class of grains encountered in difl'erent species of wood.

The various'types of wedges heretofore have all been subject to the grave disadvantage, that the heads become ductile under repeated blows producing burs around the top of the head that project beyond the plane of the tapered sides, preventing the entrance of" the wedge into the wood fibers,

after these burs have come in contact with the surface of the wood. It often happens in splitting a log, that driving the wedge into it up to the burred headis not sufficient to split it open;'whi1e if it were possible to drive the wedge another inch or fraction thereof the desired result would be accomplished. The objection to making Wedges ofunusual size is the proportionate increase in theweight, adding tothe cost of production, and rendering'the wedge harder to drive because ofthe reboundinga'ct-ion of driving a heavy wedge with a relatively light sledge or maul; whereas in the present invention the effective length of the wedge is increased without a serious addition to the weight or mass of the wedge.

Other objects and advantages will appear.

as the description progresses.

In the drawing accompanying and forming part of the present specification, to

which like reference characters have been applied, a simple form of putting this invention into practice is shown. I do not wish to be understood as confining this invention to the disclosures made in said drawing and description, as many varia' tions may be introduced, within the spirit of this invention, as defined in the claim succeeding the said description.

In the one sheet of drawing: Figure .1 is a perspective view of a wedge constructed in accordance with this invention, the elongated head-tapering gradually from the maximum width of the wedge. Fig. 2 is a similar view of a modified form of wedge constructed in accordance with this invention, with the elongated head extending upward, in substantially parallel lines shouldered in from the extreme width of the wedge. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of a wedge partially in cross section, illustrating a socket formed therein to receive the tapered shank of interchangeable driving heads.

In detail the construction illustrated in the drawings includes the body of the Wedge 1 tapering to the entering edge 2, this portion of the wedge is conventional in that it may be shaped in accordance with accepted designs to meet special requirements. From the shoulder 3, representing the maximum thickness of the wedge, the driving head tapers to the top 4:, that is considerably less in diameter than the cross section of the wedge at the shoulder 3. The effective length of the wedge may be extended to any. desired extent, by elongation of the body 5 of the driving head, without materially adding to'the' weight of the wedge, as previously described. The general typeofwedge illustrated in Fig. 1 is preferred for hard usage because of the greater strength of the fillet taper, of the driving head from the body of'the wedge. This type will stand greater abuse probably, than the type illustratedin Fig. 2.

Fig. 2

illustrates the type of wedge designed for splitting relatively soft timber with clear, straight grain, and easy splitting qualities.

Fig. 3 illustrates a modified form of wedge, in which a taper socket is formed centrally in the thick end of the wedge, to receive the tapered shank 6 of the pin 7 of the driving head 8. The particular advantage of this modified form is the possibility of removing the pin 7, and substituting a longer or shorter one, or the replacement of tl e pin when the head 8 becomes battered to an undesirable extent. Another advantage of the types illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 are the shoulders 3 and 9 surrounding the body of the driving head; if this type of wedge becomes embedded in the wood its whole length, without accomplishing the desired result, a piece of pipe or tubing can be inserted over the driving head'to rest on the shoulders, to permit the wedge to be driven entirely through the timber, if necessary.

The various types of this invention are susceptible to manufacture in accordance with the accepted processes. They may be drop forged, cast or wrought, and heat treated in the usual manner.

engaging said socket, the fiat top extending a considerabledistance from the pin on all sides thereof and presenting a squared shoulder adapted for engagement with an auxiliary driving'member.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this nineteenth day of November, 1914 ANDREW MoK. WATERS.

Witnesses:

BALDWIN VALE, A. J. HENRY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

